The water level in India’s 155 major reservoirs has decreased to 45 percent of their total capacity, with storage falling below 50 percent in half of them, according to data from the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The latest weekly data from the CWC shows that the water level in the major reservoirs is at 80.700 billion cubic meters (BCM) out of the total capacity of 180.852 BCM. With a heatwave affecting many parts of the country, the storage levels have been declining rapidly over the past few weeks. However, it is important to note that the current storage levels are higher than they were at the same time last year and are also within the normal range for the past 10 years.
Out of the 155 major reservoirs, storage in 53 of them is below 40 percent of their total capacity, while it is below 50 percent in 30 others. Only Panchet Hill reservoir in Jharkhand and Sapuda reservoir in Odisha are reported to be full at the moment.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), data from 713 districts indicate that around 80 percent of the areas have received deficient or no rainfall between March 1 and 20. Similarly, over 60 percent of the country experienced deficient rainfall during the winter (January-February) and post-monsoon (October-December) periods.
Region-wise data shows that in the northern region, 8 out of 11 reservoirs have storage levels below 40 percent, with the total capacity at 5.044 BCM out of 19.836 BCM. Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, and Rajasthan have storage levels at 19 percent, 21 percent, and 44 percent respectively.
In the eastern region, 12 out of 25 reservoirs have storage levels below 40 percent, with Bihar’s dam reported at 18 percent of its total capacity. The total storage in the region is at 44 percent of the total capacity of 20.798 BCM, with Jharkhand and Tripura being the only states with storage levels above 50 percent.
Moving to the western region, the total storage in the 50 reservoirs is at 55 percent of the total capacity of 37.357 BCM, with Goa, Gujarat, and Maharashtra reporting storage levels above 50 percent.
In the central region, the total storage in the 26 reservoirs is at 49 percent of the total capacity of 48.227 BCM, with Madhya Pradesh being the only state with storage above 50 percent.
Finally, in the southern region, the total storage in the 43 reservoirs is at 41 percent of the total capacity of 54.634 BCM, with Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh being the only states with storage levels above 50 percent.
With the IMD forecasting rainfall in the coming days, it is expected that the storage situation in the major reservoirs will improve.
